Smell the Roses
by stardrifter 8
Summary: When Numbuh 86's career starts to go down hill, an unlikely source catches her by suprise. Chapter 9 up!
1. Default Chapter

Hello everyone! After many months of writer's block and lazyness, I'm back with another  
  
fanfic for ya!   
  
Um... Anyone remember me? *Is lost in the crowd of many new authors and authoresses*  
  
DiScLaImEr!: I don't own KND, duh. I don't own any of the characters either. (cept maybe if   
  
I choose to add one, of course!) To save you some time, I'll only put it here as a reminder   
  
that it spans the whole story. Also, if the characters are ooc, just remember it's a   
  
FANFIC. I dunno all the info about the characters anyway. Kay?  
  
On with the story! ^_^ *has waited months to say that*  
  
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Numbuh 86 looked up from her desk to the small boy in the doorway and gave him her   
  
infamous glare. "Well? What do ya want?" she asked in her Irish accent. "Uh... Numbuh 362   
  
would like to see you..." they boy said nervously. He, like many others, were wary of her   
  
temper. "Fine," she replied, " Now get lost." The boy closed the door in a hurry. Numbuh 86  
  
paused and looked over her papers. It had been another long day at the Kids Next Door Secret   
  
Moonbase Headquarters. Stacking the papers neatly off to her side, she thought about what  
  
was about to happen. 'What does she want NOW?' she wondered. Pushing a bright red lock of  
  
hair out of her face, she stood up and proceeded to walk to Numbuh 362's office.  
  
Moonbase Headquarters wasn't very crowded today, she noted. She paused at a window   
  
to look out. The earth drifted there in space, like always. Her focus changed to her own   
  
reflection in the glass. A girl with bright red hair, freckles and a stern look on her face  
  
looked back. She frowned and continued down the hallway. A few minutes later, she reached   
  
the office and knocked. A "come in" was heard from within. 86 sighed. She hadn't been on   
  
good terms with this operative ever since the incident a few weeks ago. She had let an   
  
over-aged operative get away, and had accidentally captured 362 instead, and had been rebuked.  
  
The blond mentioned for her to sit down, without looking up from the papers on the   
  
desk. After a few moments of silence, 86 interrupted it with a "Well?" Numbuh 362 looked up,  
  
annoyed. "Just a MOMENT, 86." A few moments later, she cleared her throat and looked at the  
  
freckled girl. 86 met her gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Numbuh 86, I'll try to keep this   
  
short," 362 began. "As head of decommissioning, your jon is to oversee that over-aged   
  
Kids Next Door operatives are brought here to be decommissioned. "  
  
86 let out an annoyed sound. "I know what my job is!" The blonde's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Lately you haven't been doing your job correctly. An over-aged operative is still on the   
  
loose, and there were two more this week that still need to be decommissioned!" She stood  
  
up. "Do you know what this could cause?" "I know my job!" 86 said, also rising. "I-"  
  
she was cut off. "It could cause a huge security leak, and the Kids Next Door Organization   
  
could be destroyed! I expect jobs to be done!"  
  
"I'm doing the best I can!" The redhead retorted. "But if it wasn't for those stupid boys  
  
who-" Again, she was cut off by the blond. " I don't care who screws up, it is your   
  
responsibility!" The room fell silent as the two girls glared at one another.   
  
"And it is my responsibility," 362 said in a firm but quiet voice, " That I see to that jobs  
  
are getting done. Members of the KND have been upset by your actions, and I have recieved   
  
many complaints. See to it you job gets done, or there will be consequences." After a breif  
  
pause, she concluded with "you're dismissed," and sat down and went back to her papers.  
  
86 uttered a few words and walked out of the office, fuming. 'How dare she talk to   
  
me like that! I'm head of decommissioning! She's gettin close to bein 13 herself, and we'll  
  
see sho's job gets done then! She'll be out of the Kids Next Door before anyone can say "Happy  
  
Birthday!" Of all the stupid people, she's gotta be the stupidest person I've ever met!...'  
  
Her thoughts continued into the night.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Earthlight streamed in through the window. A little red light flickered on. A quiet  
  
static filled the room. "Numbuh 86! Pick up!" Snoring was heard on the other side of the room.  
  
There was a small lump under the covers of the bed. The red strands sticking out were illuminated  
  
by the light coming in through the window. "Eighty six, pick up!" Still the lump didn't move.  
  
The voice on the radio wasn't about to give up. "FRANCINE FULBRIGHT!" The girl sat up strait.   
  
She stumbled over to the receiver and rubbed her eyes. " WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?! IT'S 2:00 in   
  
the mornin for goodness sake! You better have a good reason for wakin me up!" 'And callin me  
  
by my stupid name,' she added silently. "It's 2:00 am moontime, true, but it's 3:00 pm here.   
  
This is 274." "This better be important, Numbuh 274," she said, getting more and more ticked   
  
off. "With the risk of losing my job, I would listen up," he said, a hint of humor in his voice.  
  
"H-How did you know about that?!" Her eyebrow was now twitching. "Everyone knows. Now, It's about  
  
the missing fugitive. We think we've located him." "Well, what are you waitin for? Tell me where!"  
  
An hour later, she arrived on earth. Walking down the ladder from her spacecraft, she  
  
saw a group of KND members standing around doing various things, such as reading maps or talking  
  
into communicators. Walking up to the nearest person, she tapped her on the shoulder. "Now, what   
  
do you have so far?" A male operative about her age standing close by walked over.   
  
" We've tracked the missing operative over here in-" "EXCUSE ME?!" Erupted the short tempered   
  
redhead. "I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU!" The boy backed away slowly, as 86 turned back to the girl.   
  
"Go ahead." As the two girls talked, the boy that had been yelled at walked over to his team-mate.   
  
"Who put a bee in her undies?" The other boy laughed. "You've never met her, eh? She doesn't   
  
fancy guys. No one knows why." The two boys fell silent as 86 was yelling at something else.   
  
"You, come with me," she said, nodding to the girl. "The rest of you, spread out around  
  
the location you blockheads THINK our fugitive is." Everyone just stood there, staring at her.  
  
"WELL?!" Everyone scrambled to their aircrafts. Mumbling, she got into the cockpit beside the girl.  
  
Soon they were in the air. "We got a faint signal this morning from an abandoned aircraft," the  
  
girl said. "Then, it just stopped right around here." She pointed to a map. 86 peered at it.   
  
"Isn't that the treehouse of that dolt Numbuh One?" The girl checked. "Yes. Want me to contact  
  
him?" Fanny ( A/N it's a nickname for Francine, people. And yeah, that is her name) narrowed her  
  
eyes. "No, I want you ta get that Numbuh 5. Those boys can't do anything right!" The girl nodded,  
  
although not convinced. They landed a few houses down in a surprised old man's backyard. "Any news  
  
from Numbuh 5?" Her co-pilot shook her head. "Nothing. No one picked up."   
  
Their attention was directed to the Treehouse when a large explosion was heard from within.  
  
*--------------------------------------------------------*  
  
Hooray! First chapter done! New chapters can be expected... later. ^^ But probably this week or  
  
next. It feels good to be writing again! R/r please!   
  
Till next chapter,  
  
Ness.611 


	2. Chapter Two

Ah, Chapter two. Along with it came writer's block. Well, I did during the writer's block think up   
  
more of the plot. So I know where I'm going with this story, but how to get there. Well, on with   
  
chapter two!  
  
---------------------------------  
  
A thin trail of smoke was spotted coming out of the treehouse a few moments after the   
  
explosion. "Well? Don't just stand there, let's move! This guy got away from us before,   
  
so keep a lookout and have weapons ready!" Numbuh 86 said, hopping out of the cockpit.   
  
The small group moved cautiously toward the giant base of some fellow operatives. A small  
  
scream was then heard, as the group turned on thier jet packs for a long flight upwards.  
  
'I'll get you this time,' Fanny (a/n 86's name...) thought to herself. The wind in her   
  
face lifted her spirit. This is what she enjoyed, going on dangerous missions, capturing  
  
those who are over-aged and no longer meant to be a Kid next door. She enjoyed this, right?  
  
For a brief second, something told her 'no'. Shaking that thought off, she swooped up for  
  
a landing on the deck. She had to focus. Securing her helmet and taking out her wepon she  
  
always carried by her side, she kicked open the door.  
  
"Freeze!" The rest of the group crowded around her in the doorway. Sure enough,   
  
the wall in front of them was still. "Alright, you four, come with me." Eighty-six pointed  
  
to the co-pilot girl. "You lead these dolts," she said, nodding to the three boys remaining.  
  
The two groups spilt up. The lights in this hallway were flickering. Someone in the group   
  
switched on a flashlight just as the lights gave a final flash. 86 switched on her own   
  
flashlight and surveyed the damage. "Looks like someone had broken through the window up   
  
there." Upon nearing the window, she spotting a muddy footprint leading down the hallway.  
  
"This seems to easy," someone mumbled. "Oh? Want things to be hard all the time now do ya?"  
  
86 said, spinning around to look at him.The boy shook his head quickly. "I w-was just   
  
s-sayin that-" "Quit yer blabberin and take a sample so we know where this mud came from!"  
  
"Y-yes sir, I mean mam, I mean-" Fanny sighed and stormed off down the hallway.  
  
  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
She followed the footprints down the hallway to a larger room. A shadow in the corner   
  
suddenly moved. 86 whirled around,and then spotted the shadow moving in the corner of her eye.  
  
But when she twisted to face it, again it was gone. She stood still for a minute, but nothing  
  
moved. She noticed a door cracked slightly open, pushed it open and went through. The room  
  
was dark. She glanced around for a light-switch when a door off to her left opened and the person  
  
she remembered chasing about three weeks ago rushed in. Behind him came some shouts, and the group  
  
led by 86's co-pilot girl came rushing in, weapons drawn. Seconds later, 86's own group came rushing  
  
in behind her. "We've got you surrounded!" The fugitive looked at both groups, the pressure rising.  
  
"Get down, and put your hands on the floor," Numbuh 86 said, with a slight relief inside  
  
that he was about to be captured. The fugitive slowly began bending down towards the floor. A boy from  
  
the other group walked out confidently towards the fugitive. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" 86 yelled, but it  
  
was too late. The fugitive kicked the boy's feet out from under him, and the fugitive quickly grabbed  
  
the boy's weapon. 'Rule 9... make sure they are completely on the floor!' 86 thought angrily. The boy   
  
in black pointed the weapon toward the boy now on the floor. "Set your weapons down, or I'll shoot," he  
  
said quietly. But then there was a yell behind 86's group. "Numbuh 1! In here! I found them!"   
  
The fugitive took this chance when everyone was looking away from him, and bolted behind a curtain  
  
opposite 86's group. "Numbuh 1! In here!" Numbuh Three called again. "No wait, he just left," she giggled.  
  
Everyone's heads flicked in the direction of the fugitive and the boy on the floor. Or, where the fugitive   
  
was."Uh, he went that way?"the boy offered. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!" 86 erupted.   
  
Things were just going wrong, again. The rest of the groups ran to the curtain. Pulling it back, it revealed  
  
a blacony. The kids surrounded the 13-year-old boy. "No place is there for you to go, now is there?"  
  
86 said, grinning. They were many stories up, and jumping would be a very unwise decision. Suddenly,   
  
the boy who had marched forward before did so again. 86 couldn't control her temper any longer.He  
  
wouldn't ruin this mission! She went up to the boy, and pushed him.  
  
Unfortunately, she pushed him off the balcony. Her mind still fuming but focused,   
  
she grabbed the fugitive and pinned him down. Everyone behind her stared at her, then rushed to the rail.   
  
Co-pilot girl started her jet-pack and flew a few feet in front of the rail, then turned around to face 86.   
  
"He better be alive, for your sake." With that, she flew down to check on the fallen boy.  
  
*---------------------------*  
  
Ooooh, whadda think will happen to her now? Hehehe... Please R/r! Every review makes me want to write.  
  
Till next chappy,  
  
Ness.611 


	3. Chapter 3

Heh, If you don't like Numbuh 86, this chapter's for you. I think. I haven't written it yet!  
  
But I plan it to be. Heh. Heheh.  
  
4: On with the story! Sheesh.  
  
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"Numbuh 86, we know you have captured the missing fugitive and successfully decommissioned him,  
  
but your actions today were unacceptable." Fanny stood before the higher ranking operatives   
  
sitting in a semi-circle around her. "Numbuh 284 has many injuries that will take a long time  
  
to heal, and certainly had many things about you to say. Your actions in the past have also been  
  
questionable." 86 looked down at her feet. For once she didn't respond with a witty remark, or  
  
an angry comment. It was her fault she was getting this talk. Another person before her spoke.  
  
"Eighty-six, I've known you in the past, and I remember when you were promoted to this job. We  
  
all thought you were best for it, attitude and all. Heck, I fear the time I have to get decommissioned,  
  
and you ensure it is no happy process." 86's mouth curved into a small smile. Who else had the guts  
  
to do what she did? It was a hard job, to say the least. "However, I knew your temper might be of  
  
a danger one day, and I was right. Purposely injuring an operative that's trying to help you is  
  
not right, in common sense and in the KND rules. We'll now have a meeting to decide your fate."  
  
The freckled girl sat down in an uncomfortable chair, pondering what they were going to do.  
  
"Well surely they can't decommission me, I'm not 13, and only really bad operatives get decommissioned.  
  
Plus, who would do it? I'M the head of decommissioning!' She sighed and looked around. The meeting  
  
room at Moonbase was quite large. She didn't much care for the room. Glancing at her watch, she wondered  
  
how long this meeting would take. 'Please don't kick me out of the Kids Next Door,' she thought silently   
  
to herself. She had worked hard to get to this rank, the feared position of head of decommissioning.  
  
Although, along the way, she had made many more enemies then friends. "All boys are stupid anyway.   
  
They can't do anything right," she muttered. She sighed. Her fate was out of her hands.  
  
A while later, the other operatives came in and sat down. The one in the middle, which  
  
happened to be Numbuh 362, spoke. "We have decided that you may stay in the Kids Next Door."  
  
86 sighed. At least she was still in. "But, you have been de-ranked. You will now carry out normal   
  
missions on earth." A boy next to her spoke. "We have a new operative, who joined just a few weeks ago,  
  
that could use some training. You shall instruct this operative, and if your behavior is good, and we   
  
see that the operative is properly trained, we will consider giving you back your rank."  
  
Fanny said nothing, her face pale and her eyes wide. "This meeting is closed. Eighty six,  
  
you have one day to clean out your office. We'll show you your trainee in the morning." With that, she was  
  
left alone in the room.  
  
--------------------  
  
I bet a few of you are thinking 'HAA! SERVED YOU RIGHT!'. Heh. Please review, and share your thoughts.  
  
Sorry about the short chapter, but I didn't want to go on. And I update frequently, don't I?  
  
Till next chapter,  
  
Ness.611 


	4. Chapter 4

Well well, what chapter am I gonna write now? Just kiddin. Sorry for not updating. Well, a   
  
new year has come, so a new start! I guess. Anyway, On with the chapter.   
  
-----------------------  
  
Fanny stared out the window as earth approached. Normally she enjoyed this sight, but  
  
today wasn't a normal day. Today she was going to meet this new operative. She was still a bit  
  
upset over yesterday's events, and the dents in the side of the craft proved that. Head in her   
  
hands, she sighed. She wasn't told where she was going, and all she was told about this trainee  
  
was that he or she was new and needed training. But training in what? And where? And what was this  
  
newbie like? Many questions filled her mind. She was to be givin further instructions when she  
  
landed. The earth looked so quiet below. Eighty-six sighed again and sat up. She was a bit tired  
  
of the gravity, and turned it off. Slowly she began to float. She curled up and thought about  
  
her situation. Minutes later, someone tapped at the door. "Eighty six? Were gonna have to turn   
  
back on the gravity, as we're approaching earth's atmosphere. Please buckle up." 86 rolled her   
  
eyes, floated over to the button, pressed it and fell to the floor with a thump. 'Here we go,'  
  
she thought.  
  
The trainee looked up at the approaching light in the quickly darkening sky. 'I wonder  
  
what she's gonna be like,' the new operative thought, 'I've heard a lot about her, and she sounds  
  
tough. Well, I'm up to the challenge!' The ship finally touched down a distance away.  
  
'Finally,' 86 thought as she walked slowly off the spacecraft. A girl was the first she  
  
spotted. She was short and had long sandy blonde hair. By the looks of her, she looked a bit  
  
naive . "This is my new trainee?" She asked 362, who was walking out of the craft. "No, Eighty-six,  
  
THAT is your trainee." She pointed to an older boy 86 had looked over. "HIM?" Three sixty Two nodded.  
  
"But he looks a bit old to be a new operative..." 86 stuttered. This was getting ridiculous.  
  
The boy walked up and smiled at 86. "Hi, I suppose you're Numbuh Eighty Six?" "That I am.   
  
Who might you be?" 86 crossed her arms and gave him a 'don't mess with me' look. "I'm Numbuh 689."  
  
(A/N: Sorry if anyone has claimed this Numbuh, but he's mine now! Muahahaha) "Well trainee, aren't you  
  
a little old to be just joining up with the Kids Next Door?"   
  
Numbuh 362 walked up next to the boy. "He's been working with a local team for quite some time  
  
now, and has finally decided to join. He is Twelve and a Half, but we figured he could be useful for  
  
a half a year." 86 snorted. "Then why does he need training if he's been with the KND for a few years?"  
  
362 gave her a look. "Don't take that tone with me. I'm now much higher ranked than you, remember? Now,  
  
689 needs training in aircraft piloting. Since he wasn't a member, he wasn't allowed to fly any of the  
  
aircrafts. Now that he is, he can be useful taking over aged operatives to moonbase since the two other  
  
ones we had crashed our other aircraft and got themselves injured." "What happened to them?" 689   
  
interrupted. The blond looked at him. "They were transferred to a different group here on earth. Now,   
  
Eighty six, you have quite a bit of experience in space travel, and I thought you would be good for the job."  
  
"But if he only has a half a year left in the Kids Next Door, why bother?!" 86 erupted. She couldn't  
  
believe how stupid this was getting. "Because every operative is worth something. You just turned Twelve,   
  
right?" 362 said, looking at 86, who nodded. "So why bother giving you a chance at being head of being   
  
decommissioning again, since you only have a year left?" 86 shut her mouth and glared. "Point taken," she   
  
mumbled.   
  
Six Eighty Nine looked at the two girls and laughed. "I'm sure she'll be a good teacher."  
  
86 rolled her eyes and 362 gave a slight smile. "I better be getting back to moonbase. I'll check up in a   
  
few weeks, Eighty Six." With that, she turned and walked away. "Wait! If I'm gone, who will be in charge of  
  
decommissioning?!" 86 yelled after her. 362 paused, turned around, and smiled. "That would be me."  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Eighty six sat down on a nearby bench. Around her was an old park, with tall oak and  
  
maple trees around her. "I can't believe this, I'm gonna get her one day... Reduced to this level! Honestly,  
  
how stupid can the Kids Next Door Organization get?" She looked up from her mumbling when her trainee  
  
walked up. "What do YOU want?" He stopped and sat down on the bench parallel to hers. "Hey, now   
  
why are you so cranky? Look at it this way, you weren't kicked out-" "SHUT UP!" she said, cutting  
  
him off. She would rather have taken that short blonde girl. "Oh come on, why so harsh towards me?  
  
You don't even know me." 86's eyes focused on him. He was tall, maybe a few inches taller than herself.  
  
He had light brown hair that was short and wiry looking, brushed neatly. He had a slight tan, and had   
  
a few freckles on his nose and cheeks. 689 wasn't about to give up trying to talk to her.  
  
"Where are you from? I'm from this great country." Eighty six kept her stern gaze. "Where exactly   
  
ARE we?" "Why, the U.S. of A!" She rolled her eyes. Americans. (A/N: Uh, remember, this is 86, so  
  
no offence to anyone. ^^) She kicked the dirt. "What's your name, anyway? It feels to official calling you   
  
'Numbuh Eighty Six' all the time." Her eyes flashed back to him. "Call me Numbuh Eighty Six, nothing else,  
  
got it?" To her surprise, he laughed. She growled. He wasn't very afraid of her. This made her dislike him  
  
more. "Oh come on, won't you say anything? You're so grumpy." "JUST SHUT IT, TRAINEE."  
  
That shut him up. "Alright, alright." He sat there for a few minutes watching the ticked girl.  
  
"Um, I'll be at the headquarters," he said, standing up. "Hold it! There's a headquarters?"   
  
He laughed. "Of course! There's the two operatives I've been helping for a few years there, but they're  
  
usually off in their rooms fixing stuff. Come on, I'll show you around." Eighty six growled.  
  
"Quit laughing. You make this sound like it's 'fun.'" He paused and the smile faded from his face.  
  
"Come on, what's up with you? Are you always like this?" Something told him she was.   
  
She marched up to him, her eyebrow twitching. "LISTEN. I was just de-ranked from the position of  
  
head of decommissioning, and forced to work with an idiotic boy called Numbuh 689. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE."  
  
689 looked a bit hurt and scared. Slowly he started walking toward his headquarters, with the fuming  
  
redhead stomping behind him.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Soon they reached a large grey rock in the middle of the park, just off the path. "This is it,"  
  
689 said, turning around. 86 looked around. "There's no treehouse." Six Eighty Nine smiled.   
  
We're a bit different from other teams. "Now watch, or you'll not be able to get in again."  
  
He searched the rock until he seemed to find something. "Ah. Now, there's this little button  
  
here, and when you push..." Suddenly a section of the rock seemed to 'open' to reveal a stairway.  
  
"Tada!" He smiled and stepped toward the entrance. "Ladies first!" She grumbled, gave him a shove,  
  
and stomped down the stairs. Clever, she admitted. She had never seen an underground base. Still,   
  
she didn't like her trainee. (A/N: I like underground bases. ^_^ I just realized I had one in "Sweet  
  
Dreams". Oops.) She reached a landing, and blinked, getting used to the dim light. "Oh, sorry,"  
  
689 said, walking past her. He flipped a switch, and the lights blazed into life. 86 gasped at what  
  
she saw.  
  
*----------------------*  
  
W00t, chappy's done! Please review, or I won't continue. Seriously, your reviews encourage me to  
  
go on. ^-^   
  
Till next chapter,  
  
Ness.611 


	5. Chapter 5

Back again! School starts again on Monday, so I might update a little less often. (Or, more often, i dunno)  
  
Well, on with chapter 5! Hope you like this chapter, and thanks to my reviewers and MayB for helpin me along.  
  
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"THIS PLACE IS A MESS, TRAINEE!"   
  
Numbuh 86 turned to meet the surprised looking eyes of 689."Of all the stupid people who have a headquarters,  
  
you and your team-mates must be the stupidest! Have you people heard of cleanliness?" To her surprise,   
  
he didn't cower in fear, he crossed his arms and gave her a look. "Ya know, I do have to write a report  
  
on you. If 362 hears a bad report, you'll never get back to your position of head of de-fueling or whatever."  
  
"It's head of decommissioning, stupid! I've been in the Kids Next Door four years, and I know it takes  
  
a lot to be an operative. If I report that YOU have been misbehaving, who would they believe, a newbie or  
  
someone with experience?!" 86 smirked. 'Whadda have ta say ta that, hmm?' she thought. "Very true, Eighty   
  
Six. Who WOULD they believe, someone who just got de-ranked because she kept messing up, or an innocent   
  
trainee?" 689 smirked back. Eighty Six lost it. "WHY YOU LITTLE- ERRRG!" She charged him, but he dodged in   
  
time. "Um... I'll be in my room!" Calling after the fleeing operative, the redhead yelled," AND WHERE THE  
  
HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO STAY?!" 689 paused at the end of the hallway. "Th-the door to your left. Um, see you  
  
in the morning. Goodnight, Eighty-six." With that, he disappeared around the corner.   
  
'If I wasn't in this position, I would have beaten the stuffing out of him!' She thought as she walked  
  
into her room. Flipping on the lights, she was slightly taken back at it. A system of roots from a tree above  
  
lined the ceiling and some of the walls. Woven through the twisted roots were tiny Christmas lights, creating  
  
a sort of fantasy look about the place. There was a simple bed in the center, with a knot of roots filled with   
  
lights above it. There were some drawers off to the side, and she found her luggage set in a corner. "Well,  
  
at least this place isn't a mess." The room she had just been had been littered with paper, candy wrappers,  
  
tons of leaves, and scattered furniture. The walls were made of dirt, but the ceiling seemed to be held up  
  
by the complex system of roots from the many old trees above. She gazed around her room that she would call  
  
her own for the next half-year. "A little decorations, and this place might not be that bad." Weary from the  
  
day's events, she removed her weapon purse that she always wore, and flopped down on the bed. She managed to  
  
find a switch in the bedside table next to her, and dimmed the lights to a faint glow. Closing her eyes, she   
  
remembered the many events that had taken place in the past couple of days. It seemed so distant now, when she  
  
pushed the haughty operative off the balcony; the council meeting that decided her fate; her packing up her office  
  
and saying goodbye. 'Maybe I should best forget and focus on this task, so I can get back to my old self,'  
  
she thought. With that, she drifted off to sleep.   
  
---------------------  
  
When she woke up, the room still looked the same. Dark, with the lights dimmed. Glancing at her watch, she   
  
noticed it was 7:00. She still needed to get used to the time zone thing. 'Might as well get up before the   
  
TRAINEE does.' With the thought of 689, she shuddered. Something about him just disgusted her more than anything.  
  
She quietly and quietly brushed her hair using a small mirror on the dresser, straightened her clothes and  
  
stepped out into the lit hallway. "Now where is the stupid kitchen anyway? Or do these people even have one?"  
  
she muttered. Winding her way through many hallways, she spotted an open door. Peeking into it, she found it vacant.  
  
It wasn't the kitchen, but a room of one of the operatives that lived there. She walked in, observing her surroundings.  
  
It was a bit like her own room, with roots making up the walls, but there was tiny blue and purple lights in these,  
  
not white. There was various tools lying about the floor, half made gadgets and blueprints also. As 86 was surveying  
  
this all, a door 86 assumed was a closet opened, and a girl walked up the steps that led down from the door.  
  
"Excuse me, do I know you? You're in my room," the girl said. She was about Fanny's age, with black hair, bright green   
  
eyes and a pale face. "Oh, pardon me... I was, um... looking for the kitchen. I'm Numbuh 86, sent here to train 689."  
  
The girl's somewhat confused expression faded. "Oh, it's you! I'm Numbuh 644, nice to meet you." Fanny nodded and smiled.  
  
At least there was a girl here. She probably wouldn't make it with all boys for a half a year. "689 said there's another  
  
operative living here?" The raven-haired girl nodded. "Yes, 642. He's usually pretty busy, so you might not  
  
see him much. Hey, want to get somethin to eat? I'm starvin." 86 smiled and nodded. "I would like that. A tour of this   
  
maze and a map might be nice too." 644 laughed. "You got it!" Eighty six followed her to the kitchen.  
  
*---------------------------*  
  
Nuther chapter done. Yeah, it's a bit short, but I'm feelin a bit down today. (No, not cause you didn't review! Thank   
  
you for all who did!) So, please review! And I'll feel happy.  
  
Till next chapter,   
  
Ness.611 


	6. Chapter Six, the Breakfast Incident

Uhhhhh, I know I haven't updated in months, but here ya go..  
  
-------------------  
  
644 bowed and waved a hand into the kitchen. "Here it is!" Eighty-six smiled.The girl with   
  
the dark hair watched her go in, and quietly walked inside. Eighty-six's boots made a muffled  
  
thump against the dirt floor when she walked, but 644's feet made almost no sound. Fanny noticed  
  
this an turned around. "I bet you scare a lot of people like that." "What do you mean?" 86 mentioned  
  
at her feet. "No noise." Six Fourty Four laughed. "Oh that! Yes, I do. It comes in handy sometimes,   
  
and they're quite comfy." She pulled back her long baggy jeans to reveal something that looked like  
  
purple ballet shoes. 86 nodded, impressed. "Now," the other girl said, "Like some breakfast?" The two  
  
girls set to work making pancakes. "Oh my goodness, I just remembered that I left my saudering iron on!"  
  
644 said suddenly and rushed out the door. Taken back by this sudden departure,86 looked around the small   
  
kitchen. It had a long table made out of rosewood, cabinets and appliances on three sides of the room.  
  
"Six Fourty Four! Come back! I can't cook, and the pancakes will burn if you don't flip them now!!"  
  
When nothing was heard, she let out a small whine. She eyed the spatula sitting there next to the pan.  
  
'I might as well try...' she thought grimly and picked up the untensil. Slowly she lifted a corner of a  
  
small pancake to reveal a black underside. "Aw, I can't even make breakfast!" She decided to flip it anyway.  
  
When she had it balanced on the spatula above the pan, a sudden noise startled her and she instincivly reacted.  
  
The pancake went flying and something behind her recieved a good whacking. 689 rubbed his cheak,   
  
letting out a small curse. "Jeez, it's only me!" Eighty six let out a "humph" and turned back to the pan.  
  
"You deserved that." She heard him mumble behind her and go to the table. "How'd ya find the kitchen,  
  
and know where to find the stuff to make pancakes?" "I found one of your team-mates," she said, eyeing him.  
  
Turning back to the pan, she said more quietly, "Shoot! Now I'll have to make another batch. If only I knew how."   
  
689 walked over, now sporting a red spot on his cheek that resembled a spatula. "Here, let me help."   
  
"I can do it myself, thank you. I don't need any help from a stupid boy." 689 was getting used to these remarks.  
  
"You're our guest. Really, let me." He reached for the utensil on the counter, but Eighty six snatched it first.   
  
"I'M COOKING, TRAINEE." He grabbed her hand that held the spatula, and all fell silent. Eighty six gave him a   
  
death glare,and 689 sent her a smug look. "Oh, excuse me, am I interrupting your little love fest here?"   
  
a voice said from the doorway. 689 jumped, letting go of her hand. He blushed, said nothing, and backed up   
  
a few feet. Eightysix now shot that death glare 644's direction. "It was NOT a love-fest, or whatever you said.  
  
I'm cooking." With that, she turned back to the counter and poured a few blobs of mix into the pan.   
  
---------------------------  
  
The three sat down to their meal of slightly burnt pancakes. "These arn't bad, considering the first time I  
  
tried to cook them I burnt them all and 644 had to grab the fire extinguisher to put out the flames." Numbuh 86   
  
said nothing and continued eating. "Oh come on, can't you take a compliment?" She looked up and glared at him.   
  
689 was a bit annoyed at this point and glared back. A minute or so of silence followed.  
  
"Mind passing the syrup?" 86 and the trainee jumped. "Oh, um, sure. Here," Fanny said, passing it to her. "So   
  
what are you and 689 doing today, Numbuh 86?" the dark haired girl asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
"The basics of aircraft." 689 glanced between the two girls, and made an 'ahem' towards 644, who had forgotten   
  
about the syrup in her hand. The sticky substance was now overflowing off the plate, and the girl blushed and   
  
got up to get a towel. Eighty six glanced at her watch and set down her fork. "Meet me in the main room in a half  
  
an hour, trainee." With that, she got up and left the room.  
  
*-------------------*  
  
That's all you get for now. Please review and bug me to update, otherwise I won't.   
  
Will there be a next time?,  
  
Ness.611 


	7. Chapter Seven

I have some cheese, and I'm feelin creative! Woo!  
  
--------------------  
  
A half an hour later, he arrived in the main room. 'At least he's punctual,' Numbuh 86 thought. He grinned,   
  
like nothing could ruin his day. His goofy grin almost made her smile, but she stopped herself.  
  
'Keep it professional, Eighty Six, your job is on the line!' She chided herself.They walked up  
  
the stairs in silence and stopped to welcome the morning light. "Today you begin your  
  
training. What you are going to learn is how to pilot ships for various missions and tasks." "Alright!   
  
Where do we begi-" 86 cut him off."Quit, trainee, I'm not finished! Now, before you go off and kill us both  
  
in a real craft, we'll start with the standard simulator." She set down the green bag she had brought   
  
with her, and pulled out a lunchbox laptop. She walked over to a bench and started to set up the program.  
  
689 walked over and sat right next to her. Looking up from the lunchbox at him, she scooted over a few inches  
  
and continued typing. "What does this thing do, exactly?" "It simulates the cockpit of the standard aircraft.  
  
I'll start by pointing things out to you, and once you've got those down, I'll teach you how to use them."  
  
She paused, rubbed her neck, and looked over at him. It was going to be a long day. There was so much to cover.  
  
A few minutes later, she set down the lunchbox laptop on the damp grass in front of them. A hologram  
  
popped up in the air above it; A perfect replica of a cockpit. 689 had that goofy grin on his face again,   
  
amazed at what other KND operatives had done. "They're only the BASICS, Trainee. There are hundreds of different  
  
aircrafts that operate differently." The smile slightly faded from the boys face. Maybe this wasn't going to be  
  
as easy as he thought. 86 noticed this expression and smirked. She loved seeing him troubled. "Alright, trainee,  
  
basics! This button, usually located over here, turns the engines on..." This lesson continued for many hours.  
  
----------------------  
  
Hey look, that cloud looks like a moose... Ooh, birds! One, two, three, four- "Trainee! Pay attention!"  
  
Six Eighy Nine's head snapped back up. "Sorry, but I'm tired, and this warm air is making me sleepy."  
  
Her eyes narrowed. It was getting slightly hard to focus in the heat. "Would you like me to push you in   
  
the lake to wake up?" He grinned. She rolled her eyes, closed the laptop and put it in her sack, and started   
  
to walk away. "Hey! Where are you goin?!" 689 said, startled by this sudden departure. He stood up, found his  
  
foot was asleep, and almost fell. Limping, he ran to catch up. "I'm going to get lunch," was her reply.   
  
"Hey, that sounds good! Where are we going?" She stopped and looked at him. "I am going to the first burger  
  
shop I find." She continued marching on along the path alongside the lake. The light-haired boy shook his   
  
foot to wake it up, and ran after her again. "I know this one really good place where we can go, I-" She   
  
whirled around on him, getting ticked off. "THERE IS NO WE, TRAINEE. I am NOT your friend, only your   
  
instructor. Is that clear?" "Yeah, but-"   
  
She shoved him in the lake.  
  
-------------------  
  
Hehe! People bugged me, and it's getting fun to write again! Whee!  
  
Till next chapter,  
  
Ness.611 


	8. Chapter Eight

Thanks for everyone who reviewed! (On here and on my forum)  
  
----------------------------  
  
86 stomped back to the park in a no better mood then when she had left. The burger place had bad service and  
  
even worse burgers. She walked down the path washing her mouth out with some water. Ahead she spotted the 689  
  
with his goofy grin. It looked like he had changed into some dry clothes. She walked up to the bench where he  
  
was casually stretched out. He looked up at her and said with a yawn "I think I will forever smell of fish."  
  
She responded with a disgusted snort. "Have a nice lunch?" he asked, sitting up. "No. Do you have anywhere   
  
decent to eat around here?" She sat down with a plop next to him and took out her lunchbox. "Next lesson..."  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Two weeks had passed, and Numbuh Six Eighty Nine had learned much. They worked from Eight to Seven, with occasional  
  
breaks, of course. It was Saturday, and the boy was lightly sleeping in his room. A loud buzzing suddenly came  
  
from above him. He jumped about a foot in the air, now wide awake. A small round ball with wings was buzzing   
  
above him. "Wake up, trainee! I have something to show you," the thing said. The boy sighed, and looked at the   
  
clock. "Six thirty, Eighty Six?" "Is that a problem, trainee?" the thing shot back. "Yeah, it is. The sun is barely  
  
up," he said, hiding back beneath the sheets. "I was up late last night working on this, Six Eighty Nine! Now meet  
  
me in the main room in five minutes! THAT'S AN ORDER!" With that, the thing buzzed off. "Yes your majesty," he   
  
mumbled and rolled out of bed. 'What does she have planned this time?'   
  
She met him in the main room six minutes later. "You're late, trainee," she scowled. He shrugged. "What did you  
  
wake me up so early for?" She smirked and popped her knuckles. "Follow me." She turned and marched up the stairs.  
  
The boy followed, and squinted in the early morning light. "That," she pointed,"is your new training vehicle."  
  
It was a simple craft made for space travel. It was an old van with wings and an extra level built on top of it.   
  
"Some dolt had crashed it the other week, and I spent all last night fixing it up so it would run. YOU, trainee,  
  
are going to show me how much you've learned." With that, she walked over, yanked open a door, and climbed in   
  
the passenger's seat. "Wow... Hope I can do this," 689 said quietly. He walked around to the other side and   
  
climbed in. When he glanced at the controls, his smile faded. "I-I haven't learned to pilot one of these..."  
  
86 glared at him. "What have I been telling you all this week, trainee? Every craft is different. But they all have  
  
the same principals. Remember??" He paused, and stared at the controls again. He smirked. "Yeah. I do." He buckled in  
  
just in case, and pressed the button to start the engine. The craft lurched and was suddenly vertical, the two kids   
  
facing upward toward the early morning sky. "Here goes nothing!" With that, they were on their way up. "Not bad for  
  
your first liftoff. When I first did it, I had it in reverse and it took the team a day to dig it out of the ground."  
  
She smiled at this memory but then frowned when she saw him looking at her. "KEEP YOUR EYES FORWARD TRAINEE!"  
  
He looked back just as they were about to hit a satellite.   
  
"It's one of the first rules of driving ANYTHING." She glared and sat back in her seat.  
  
"You better engage gravity." "Oh, right, right..."  
  
He looked back up from the dashboard and his expression turned to awe. "So this is space, huh?" The redhead turned back  
  
to look at him. "Yeah. You get used to it." 689 shook his head. "If I wasn't driving, I'd love to turn off the gravity  
  
and just- just float." It was silent for a few minutes. Eighty six sighed and pressed a button. "It was a good lift off, and  
  
we have no where to go. You've done well. Auto-pilot will take over now." She jumped out of her seat to float above him.   
  
"Wanna learnhow to fight off space aliens?"   
  
-------------------  
  
Both kids were breathing heavily an hour later. "I'm guessing you've met a lot of space aliens," the boy said, taking a sip of   
  
water. Eighty six grinned and floated over to the dash board. 689 landed with a thump, and eighty six landed gracefully.  
  
"Playtime's over. Time to go back. Breakfast time. Let's see if you can land this thing as well as take off." 689 rubbed  
  
his elbow, nodded,and walked over. "I'll try-" She cut him off. "Don't try. Do it." He bit his lip and sat down. He had  
  
never been that good at landings. He approached orbit, punched a button and flipped a few switches, and held the steering   
  
wheel tightly. Eighty six noticed his white knuckles and said nothing. The earth was coming closer and closer, more features  
  
becoming apparent. Fire was all around the aircraft. "Is this supposed to happen?" He said quickly, nodding at the fire.  
  
"Yeah, stupid." The boy was starting to panic despite the clam girl next to him. "I-I can't do this!!" "WHAT?!"  
  
The earth was coming very close now. "SLOW DOWN, TRAINEE! SLOW DOWN!" "I can't do this!!" The boy's mind was going  
  
blank. What button? How do I slow down?! You could make out more things below. Frantically, Fanny slapped a button   
  
and yanked a lever down. The aircraft gave a sickening lurch and a strange grinding noise. It slowed down considerably,  
  
but they were still plummeting toward earth. Six Eighty Nine was now practically hyperventilating, and Eighty six was  
  
just pale. They could now make out trees, and groups of houses. "689, we need to get out of here now! We can't slow  
  
this thing down!" But the boy was just frozen to the chair. "COME ON, STUPID!! THIS IS NO TIME FOR THIS!!" He looked  
  
up at her and slowly nodded, but now the earth was too close.   
  
They hit the ground.  
  
*---------------------*  
  
Haha! Cliffie! Please review!   
  
Till Next Chapter,  
  
Ness.611 


	9. Chapter Nine, Names

Next chapter.  
  
--------------------------  
  
His eyes opened, slowly. 'Owwwwwww' was his only thought. He looked around slowly, trying to remember what had   
  
happened. Only when he realized that the steering wheel was still in his hands, he remembered the incident.  
  
"Man, was I an idiot... KND operatives never chicken out in face of danger, especially not eighty si-" He   
  
turned pale. He dreaded to see what was in the seat next to him. He shook off the bad images in his head and  
  
looked over. "E-eighty six?" No response. He unbuckled and slipped out of the seat onto the dashboard. He   
  
crawled over the buttons and leavers to get to her. She wasn't exactly in the seat, she was more leaning on   
  
the dashboard. She was covered in dust as he was, but didn't look that bad. Even as kids, one of their top   
  
priorities was safety. The windshield hadn't shattered thankfully; It was made from a thick glass for space  
  
flight. Six Eighty Nine shook her arm slightly. "Eighty six? Wake up!!" Still not much response. 'Okay, don't  
  
panic... You're safely on the ground... What were the safety measures again? Uh... Oh yeah! Check if they're  
  
breathing,' he thought. Her back was rising up and down, so breathing: check. He sighed in relief. At least no  
  
CPR. "Come on, Eighty Six, wake up!" He still didn't want to touch her. She had pointed out to him daily that  
  
touching was off limits. He didn't want it to end up like the spatula-hitting-face-in-so-called-self-defense  
  
thing. 'I wish I knew her real name... Maybe that would do the trick,' he thought, leaning back on the  
  
windshield.   
  
Wait, was that movement? "Wake up, Eighty six! Wakie Wakie!" He paused, and took a look at her   
  
current position. "Looks like you just fell over after dancing-" Smack. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME TRAINEE?!"  
  
The very confused and surprised boy first looked at his hands to make sure his nose wasn't bleeding, then to her.  
  
"I-I didn't call you anything!" She rubbed her head, glanced around and shifted so that she was sitting on the  
  
edge of the dashboard. "Yes you did, you said my name," she scowled. The boy now looked like a rabbit, wiggling  
  
his nose around. "You nearly broke my nose..." She mumbled and stood up, and unhooked something on the back of  
  
the seat, to reveal a first aid kit. "Who told you my name?" He stopped rubbing his nose and coughed. "I DIDN'T  
  
say your name." "Oh yeah?" she said, putting a bandage on a cut. "Then why did you say Francine?" He almost laughed.  
  
"So THAT's your name is it? I never said 'Francine.'" He paused, the grinned. "I said 'Dancing', though."   
  
Eighty Six grumbled in annoyance, chastising herself for giving away her name. "Ugh. Well, now that you know, at  
  
home I prefer to be called Fanny. Fanny Fulbright. Now I demand to know yours." He laughed.   
  
"Nuh-uh. Not telling." She eyed him. "You want me to actually break your nose this time, you dolt?"  
  
The smile faded a little. "Umm... no, thank you. Well, Mine's Jerry. Jerry Felton." She smiled, satisfied.  
  
"Well, Jerry, I still don't forgive you for chickening out. If you're going to be a pilot at all, you've got  
  
to learn to LAND as well as take off. Next time, I'm landing." She kicked open the door and climbed out and   
  
stomped off. He watched her go, thinking. "She treats me like dirt, but why do I get this feeling I like 'Fanny  
  
Fulbright?'" He sighed, and climbed out after her.  
  
*-----------------*  
  
Ha. Characters never are really seriously injured in cartoons, you should know that!   
  
*Skips off, singing* Ooooh Francine rhymes with Dancing!  
  
Till Next Chapter,  
  
Ness.611 


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